The Great Neck South High School Class of 2016 senior event was held on Thursday, June 2, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Each year, the 12th graders’ parents plan and create a fun night for the soon-to-be grads to
help them celebrate a rite of passage in a casual setting. Dozens of parents had been working tirelessly as a team since October to develop a secret theme and build the many elements needed to transform the gym into the Governors Ball, and are so appreciative of the many parents and friends who helped make this special night one to remember.
The dynamic trio led by Robin Sherman, Orly Someck and Lisa Barocas took charge with vision, talent and hard work to create the special theme. Over several months, Joe Friedman and Marvin Anchin designed and built an incredible Statue of Liberty with the help of many parents. Mike Cuttino was an integral member of the production team, assisting with all aspects of constructing the statue, and Andrew Sherman of Blueberi Boulevard generously donated the turf, which brought the outside indoors.
The smiles from all the kids’ faces said it all. The event was a huge success—with students dancing until the very end, led by DJ Al Rojas of DLE Event Group.
The group is grateful to Winnie Ho, Helen Wu, Josephine Ng, Vicki Lam and all the parents who made the beautiful raffle prize baskets. The food committee, led by Jeri Alper, Debbie Lempert and their team did a fantastic job, and Serena Cuttino delivered big time with tantalizing baked treats.
Adding a nostalgic note were the fun baby and senior photos made by Ellen Klig and the montage created by Adam Kolodny and Jaclyn Schindler, who was also the night’s photographer, along with Jill Krieger and Jeffrey Rosenberg.
So many parents added to the fun by working the games, which were busy all night long. Everyone was so appreciative of Sue Smith for the great T-shirts and the bracelet donation from The Coolest Giveaways, as well as to the fundraising committee led by Laura Roth, Rachel Hershenhorn and Hildy Savell, and Jill Krieger, who kept the budget in check. Everything couldn’t have come together without Judy Liman who helped keep all the moving parts together—or the dads, who pitched in with setup, security and tear down.
The event would never have been possible without the generous donations and support from so many local stores, restaurants, businesses and parents, who donated delicious food, great products and many hours of their time.
Some Great Neck and Lake Success businesses who made this possible include: Ayhan’s Shish Kebab, Anthony’s, Bagel Hut, Bare Burger, Burger Village, Bee-Organic, Cake-Mommie Creations, Camp & Campus, Chez Kama, Chipotle, Daruma, Family Fruit Farm, Gino’s Pizzeria, Great Neck Diner, Katarina’s, Kensington Deli, Ivarrone Brothers, La Rotunda, Lazar’s Chocolate, Mario’s Pizza, Matsuya, Mizo Sushi, North Shore Farms, Poultry Mart, Ralph’s Italian Ice, Shake Shack, The Coolest Giveaways, Village Sushi and Wild Ginger.
Surrounding towns also contributed to the event’s success, including these businesses in New Hyde Park/Little Neck: Alessio Pizzeria, Angolettos, Beverage Barn, Bob Howard General Store, Center Pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts, Foodtown, Gourmet Bake Shop, Marzullo Bakery & Café, ShopRite, Starbucks, Stop & Shop and Umberto’s; Plainview/Mineola/Westbury/Garden City: BJ’s Wholesale Club, Leading Edge Novelty (Stuart and Robert Levitt), Paramount Coffee and The Container Store; and Manhattan/Queens: Air Eagle International Importer, Allied Building Products, Blueberi Boulevard, HBO, HBOGO, PDK Contacting and Valentine USA Inc.
So many parents went above and beyond, including Ingrid Barulic, Marcia Chiang, Al and Nancy Rojas, Mindy Rosenfeld, Liza and Michael Schwartz, Robin and Andrew Sherman, and Helen Wu. Pulling together the Governors Ball truly took an awesome village.
Congratulations to the Great Neck South High School Class of 2016. Exciting times are ahead with prom and graduation. Go Rebels!